The discharge of electro-static charges has become a large problem for the electronics industry. Electro-static charges originate in different ways but most commonly by movement of a person about the floor, so that a charge passes from the person's hand to the electrical circuitry. This often results in critical circuit damage.
Circuits that experience damage resulting from electro-static charges are commonly packaged in semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) chips that include highly voltage-sensitive circuits, such as MOS (metal oxide semiconductor) transistors. Due to their sensitivity to high voltages, containers for storing and shipping these types of IC chips must offer significant protection to avoid damage of the IC chips by electro-static charges.
Most IC chips are manufactured in the form of dual-in-line packages (DIP) and are stored and shipped in DIP tubes, depicted as 11 in FIG. 1. DIP tubes include a cross-section having the shape of a DIP IC and a length sufficient to hold a series of such IC chips therein. DIP tubes are typically shipped from manufacturing facilities in large boxes to distributors. From the distributors, the boxes containing the DIP tubes are typically separated and repackaged for sales to the distributors' customers.
While repackaged by the distributors, it is a major concern to prevent a discharge of electro-static charges from damaging the electrical components. Because DIP tubes, by themselves, provide insufficient protection from electro-static discharges, it is desirable to package and ship DIP tubes in such a way that such discharges are avoided. Various types of devices have been designed and severe precautions have been taken to accomplish this goal. Common examples include the placement of DIP tubes (carrying IC chips) in a separate anti-static bag before being packaged in a container for shipping, and the use of corrugated boxes with metallic lining on their inside panels. Unfortunately, the practice of using separate anti-static bags before repackaging is costly, laborious and difficult to enforce, and metallic lining used in corrugated boxes often tears away and falls into and subsequently damages the circuitry. Other problems with these prior art practices involve moisture that migrates into the containers and causes corrosion, and the excessive and inconvenient unpacking of the DIP tubes from their containers.
These problems concerning protection from electro-static discharges are not limited to IC chips which may be carried in DIP tubes. Other types of electrical components experience similar problems. Consider, for example, electrical components, such as discrete capacitors, transistors and resistors, that are dispensed from reels for automatic-insertion applications. A single discharge of electro-static charges can easily damage a multitude of these components.
Accordingly, there is need for a container that provides protection to electrical components from electro-static discharges and that overcomes the above shortcomings.